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Tuesday, May 11, 2010


Judgment...

All that was involved in the judgment of Satan is not stated in Scripture. We do know that he was relieved of his high position; that he lost his nobility, privileges, and glory; that his character became unspeakably despicable, so that he was spoken of by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself as " a liar and the father of it" ( John 8:44). However, he retained access to heaven as an accuser of believers ( Job 1:6; Luke 22:31,32).

It seems evident that in the fall of Satan, many other angels were involved as well. These are described as "the angels which kept not their first estate" ( Jude 6). Many Bible teachers believe it is these who are referred to as "the third part of the stars of heaven" ( Rev.12:4). This would mean that when Satan was driven from his high position, a third of the angelic host followed him in his rebellion against God and His authority.

Some Bible teachers think that these fallen angels are what are known as demons, who are still under the control of Satan, who do his will and war against the power and authority of God. Others seem to be mentioned as " the angels that sinned...delivered...into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment" ( II Pet. 2:4 ).

Three expressions are used to describe the evil spirit beings who are some of Satan's main agents in his warfare against humanity. First, demon ( Greek, diamonion ). This is the primary expression. The second expression used in the New Testament to describe an evil spirit is unclean spirit. The third expression is evil spirit.

There are many demons but only one "devil". The original King James Version regularly translates daimonion as "devil". Diamonion is a derivative of daimon. The refrence to the original Greek indicates that there are two distinct entities: diamon, which is primary, and daimonion which is derivative. The english word devil is actually derived from the Greek word diabolos, which has no direct relationship with diamonion. Diabolos means "slanderer". In all but three occurrences in the New Testament, it is a title of Satan himself. In this sense it is used only in singular form. There are many demons but only one devil.

Satan is given this title because his primary activity is to slander- that is, to defame a person's character. First and foremost, Satan defames the character of God Himself. He did this in the Garden of Eden, when he suggested to Adam and Eve that God was not treating them fairly by withholding from them the knowledge of good and evil. Second, Satan defames the character of all those who in any way represent God. This is his primary weapon against the servants of God.

Demons influence people.

Jesus expeled demons from people:

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demonized. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons, and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. ( Mark 1:32-34 )

Believers expeled demons from people:

And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed [demonized]; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. ( Acts 8:6-7 )

This is New Testament evangelism: The Gospel is preached and the multitudes hear; they see the miracles and casting out of demons and they believe; they are baptized and the Church is established. A central element is the expelling of demons, which is often accompanied by noisy and disorderly manifestations. Other features of evangelism vary, but this element is central to evangelism as practiced in the New Testament, first by Jesus, then by His disciples.

What are demons? Demons are disembodied spirit beings that have an intense craving to occupy physical bodies. Apparently their first choice is a human body.

Some Bible teachers believe:

1. They are some of the fallen angels associated with Satan in his rebellion against God.

2. They are disembodied spirits of a pre-adamic race that perished under some judgment of God not recorded in detail in Scripture.

Scripture does not provide us with sufficient evidence to say which is correct.

It is believed that the earth was the scene of Lucifers first activity, being, as it were, his headquarters. So, say some scholars, as a result of God's judgment upon the sin of Lucifer, the earth was cursed, too. Those who hold this belief say that this is intimated in the opening statements of the Bible where, after it is told that, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," it is declared that the earth was "without form, and void" ( Gen. 1:1,2 )

It is unthinkable that God would create anything that was imperfect, formless, a desolate waste. His very nature is system and order. He is not the author of confusion. The difficulty is solved in the "substitution of "became" for "was" ( as allowed by the Hebrew), in Genesis 1:2. The thought is thereby conveyed that while the earth originally was created with all the beauty, precision, and perfection characteristic of God, something happened to it. Later, it was changed, possibly due to the fall of Satan.

Let us suppose for a moment that daimonions are spirits that once occupied the bodies of members of some pre-Adamic race who led ungodly and sinful lives. In their present condition, however, they have no way to give expression to the various lusts and passions and emotions they developed in their former bodies. It is conceivable that they could find some kind of vicarious release by acting out their lusts or passions or emotions through human bodies.This would explain one dominant characteristic of demons: their intense craving to inhabit and work through human flesh.

Jesus tells us:

"Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, "I will return to my house from which I came", and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept and put in order." ( Matthew 12:43-44 )

We need to remember that the Bible records only the history of the race descended from Adam. In this connection it uses the phrase sons ( or descendants ) of Adam. It was to redeem the members of this race that Jesus came as "the last Adam" (Corinthinans 15:45). If other races existed before Adam, the Bible makes no explicit reference to them.

It may be that neither of the two theories about demons is correct- that they are neither fallen angels nor disembodied spirits from an earlier race of beings. However demons do exist and they do exert influence over people. Demons manifest themselves through humanity under many diffrent names.

Although the problem of sin is universal, the problem with demons is not. Many members of the human race have come under the power of demons, but not all. There is a close connection between sin and demons. If mankind had never sinned, we would never have been vulnerable to demons.

And the remedy? Expel them. Jesus Christ is the answer